Friends this year or more
by merdarkandtwisty
Summary: what if Pacey and Joey had became real close friends in the summer between season 2 and 3 with Dawson in Philly and Andie in the hospital. how does this change season 3 after Dawson finds Eve after Andie cheats are P/J just friends or are they more.
1. Chapter 1

**What you need to know: Joey and Pacey get really close during the summer between Season two and three and thus Dawson will never have to ask Pacey to look after Joey he just does it. This story will pick up after Dawson leaves for Philly. The beginning of season 3 ie joey/Dawson/eve will happen and Andie cheating and the B and B but besides that everything else will be different I hope you enjoy. Please leave comments. **

I don't own dawson's creek

Friends this year or maybe more.  
>Chapter 1: Dockside fun<p>

"Hey Jo." Joey looked up from where she had been staring into the murky waters of the noon day creek.

"Pacey," she acknowledged his presence without actually looking up at him. She wanted to be alone but oh know he had to show up just her luck.

"Ok Josephine I know your soul mate left you but that scowl is going to be forever attached to your face if you don't smile soon." Pacey sat down on the dock and nudged her side trying to make her laugh. She may be the ban of his existence a thorn in his side since he was five but he still cared about her deeply more then he'd ever admit to her anyway.

"Bite me Pacey, just because you've found the love of your life doesn't mean you are now a relationship genies and don't call me Josephine" Her eyes were shooting fire at him and if he wasn't so use to the Joey Potter temper he might have shrunk back a lesser man would have he mused silently to himself.

"Now Miss Potter is that anyway to talk to someone, what would your sister say?" He shook his head, and she tried to not let him see the smile that was threating to appear. He tried to not let her see the hurt her words had caused him if he had such a perfect relationship how come Andie was now in a mentle institute he couldn't protect what a great boyfriend he turned out to be he thought scornfully but he couldn't let her see that.

"She'd properly tell me way to go." Joey tried to dismiss the slight hurt she'd seen flash in Pacey's eyes at the mention of his relationship.

"I'm wounded and here I thought Bessie loved me."

Joey snorted "Yeah you think that all you want Pace." She swung her foot out into the water causing some to splash onto Pacey's shorts.

"Hey," he cried out indigently trying to look offended.

"What are you going to tell me those were your good church going pants." She grinned at him wickedly and the challenge in her eyes just told him he had to do some. He leaned down and cupped some water into his hands. She saw what he was about to do and pushed him. He went toppling into the river but not before grabbing her and pulling her in along with him.

"Pacey John Witter," she came up sputtering.

"You pushed me in first I was just looking for leverage."

"Boys." She glared at him pushing his head under the water and pulling herself up on the dock. She started to storm towards her house wet clothes clinging to her. He took a moment to appreciate the sight she might be Joey Potter his arch enemy, he might be in a serious relationship with Andie who he loved with everything he had but he was still a red blooded male who could appreciate a fine female form. He shook his head sending droplets of water all around. He ran to catch up with Joey. "And where prey tell do you think your going." She snapped glaring at him.

"Well I figured even if you're the Ice queen your sister may have some heart and let me use a towel to dry off seeing as it was her baby sister who pushed me into the river."

"Keep dreaming Witter." She snorted. She couldn't help but look at him though the shirt he wore clung to him in a very interesting way. She shook her head she must have got water in her brain she thought. Sure he was one of her best friends slash worse enemy's but to think of him like that seriously of course she'd never tell him he was her friend it would inflate his already to big ego.

"Yeah I mean one of the Potter sisters had to get the heart, I'm guessing its Bessie." He shot back. She pulled the door open and tried to slam it in his face. "Ah come on Potter don't be extra icy I may freeze. He put his hand on the door frame stopping the door from slamming completely

"its ninety degree's out I highly doubt you'll freeze."

"Seriously Potter." He put his best puppy dog eyes on hoping they would soften her.

"Whatever." She threw her hands up and spun around headed towards the bathroom to find some towels.

Bessie came into the Kitchen carrying Alex on one arm and a load of laundry in the other. "Pacey Witter what in the world are you doing in my kitchen soaking wet?" She tried not to burst out laughing at the site he presented.

"Well your dear sister decided I should have a creek baptismal He scowled. Bessie once again tried to suppress her laughter Joey stormed into the Kitchen rubbing her wet hair with a towel and throwing another one at Pacey.

"Here you go, now I'm going to change out of these wet clothes." She once again stormed away this time into the living room or her bedroom whichever you wanted to call it. Pacey tried to dry off as best as possible but it was proving to be a bit of a challenge.

Bessie bit her lip "So I see you also baptized my sister in the creek." She then really started to crack up." She bit her lip to stop laughing. "Would you like some dry clothes Pacey I'm sure I can find something of Bodie's around here."

"That would be a god send thank you Bessie. See I told you she was the sister with the heart." Pacey shouted into the living room.

"She just hasn't taken her medication today." Joey shouted back.

"Hey I resent that" Bessie playfully scowled before heading to her room to find some dry clothes for Pacey.

Joey came into the kitchen now dry to find Pacey now standing in a puddle of water. "You know Potter this is the last time I ever try to be nice to you."

"Well who asked you." She shot back.

"And before you two kill each other I think I'm going to hand these clothes to Pacey, you can change in my room Pace."

"Thank you Bessie." He stuck his tounge out at Joey before heading towards the back of the house.

"Oh real mature" Joey called out behind him before slumping into a chair at the kitchen table. "That boy is going to be the death of me." She slammed her head on the table.

"no that would be brain damage if you don't quit doing that." Bessie Laughed. Sitting down and arranging Alex on her lap. Joey just scowled at her sister as Pacey came back to the kitchen his wet clothes in hand. "Here let me take those." Bessie scoped them from Pacey's hand.

"Well then let me take Little Mr. Alex." Pacey relived her of the baby as she went to collect Joey's wet clothes so she could throw it all in the washer together. Pacey sat down across from Joey . "Well Alex your Auntie Joey is cranky today." He whispered to the baby as he jiggled him on his knee.

"Don't listen to him Alex he's just mean." Joey grumbled.

"See what I mean." Pacey laughed.

"Pacey really why are you here."

"Well Joey I really am here to make sure your ok I know hard to believe and all."

She sighed and rested her head on her hands dancing her fingers across the table trying to make the baby laugh. She thought about all he'd done for Andie that year she knew that Pacey was really one of the good guys. "No maybe not so hard to believe." She whispered they sat there in silence not an obsessive silence but one of understanding. Bessie watched them from the doorway not wanting to interrupt the peaceful moment between the two teens.


	2. Lunch and lemonade

I don't own Dawson's creek.

"Stop lying Witter." Joey threw a fry at his head."

"hey stop wasting perfectly good food," Pacey picked the fry up and ate it causing Joey to look disgusted with him. "And I wasn't lying I was telling Jen and Jack how you pushed me into the creek yesterday." They were all at a local diner. Pacey was trying to convince Jack and Jen that Joey had tried to drown him in the creek.

"Believe me Witter if I wanted to drown you you'd be dead right now." Joey threatened.

"oh your all bark and no bite Potter."

"Want to bet" She went lunging across the table at him and Jack had to pull her back.

"OK Jo now no bodily harm to Pacey please." He laughed.

"Wow now I know how it must feel to have been Dawson all these years" he joked and imminently regretted it. Joey's face dropped and Pacey sent him a death glare.

"Hey Potter how about I drop you in the creek again, I mean you look quite good in wet clothes." Pacey teased.

"Pig." The sadness left Joey's face as she glared at Pacey.

"Love you to babe." He shot back. Joey just took a bite of her burger and glared at him.

"Well as fun as this little get together has been I promised Grams I'd help her clean and Jack has to go get the rest of his stuff from his house." Jen and Jack slide out of the booths and waved goodby to their friends.

"See what you do, you drive our friends away," Joey snapped.

"No that's you Potter."

"Listen Witter I'm hungry so can we just call a freaking cease fire so I can eat." She growled and he just chuckled going back to his food.

"I wonder if they'll kill each other" Jen laughed as she and Jack separated.

"well personally I can't let Joey kill him I promised Andie he'd still be in one piece when she got home."

"Ah aren't you a great brother." Jen teased and he just scowled at her.

"Ok Potter lets get out of here I promised your sister I'd mow your yard today if she fed me."

"You're like this illness I can never shake aren't you."

"Yup that's me." They walked towards the potter house pushing each other every now and then Joey went towards her room and Pacey went to the shed to grab the lawn morrow. She watched him as he started to cut the grass and she smiled yes he was one of the good ones and he wasn't that hard to look at either she'd admit. But only to herself.

Joey watched out the Kitchen window as Pacey once again moved the front yard. It had been a week since the dockside incident as they'd started to call it and he seemed to be over every day it was really starting to confuse her. She got two glasses out of the cupboard and the pitcher of Lemonade out of the Refrigerator she poured a glass for herself and a glass for Pacey. She took Pacey's glass and headed outside.

"here Pacey." She handed him the frosty glass as soon as he killed the engine.

"Thanks Jo." He took a long sip of the liquid.

"Yeah well I couldn't have you passing out on our lawn now could I." she joked. "Pace." She looked down at the ground.

"what is it Jo."

"How come you've been around so much I mean really I mean you could be doing so much more with your time and instead you're here mowing our yard.

"Yeah well." He scuffed his toe in the grass.

"thanks Pace I appreciate it." She gave him a small smile and went back into the house to find her sister.

"So how our unpaid worker?" Bessie joked.

"Well I paid him in lemonade I figured you didn't want him to pass out on our lawn." Joey joked as they watched Pacey once again mow the lawn and the question why why he was doing this just wouldn't leave her mind why would he care. They hadn't been friends real friends for year what had changed now this question would continue to haunt and nag at her.

A/N Ok over at Pages of true love where this story is also posted this is actually two chapters but I decided to post it all as one chapter over here so I hope you like it. I'm working on the next chapter now.


	3. talks and bathing suits

I don't own Dawson's creek

Chapter 4. Talks and bathing suits.

"Ok Potter what is it with you and this Dock." Pacey asked tiredly.

"What are you talking about Witter." Joey asked looking up at his exasperated.

"I mean you always seem to be over here sitting here staring at the house that Mr. Dawson Leery lives in Do you really miss him that much Jo."

"You know what Pace I'm not really sure I mean yes I miss Dawson but sometimes I just think its habit I've been sitting on this Dock looking over at that house since I was five years old and now…. She trailed off and now its sits there empty as can be. Only Mr. Leery there and I don't know." She let out a giant breath. "I just feel like my childhood and everything it stood for is slipping from my hands.

"You know I spent just as much time over their as you did, how do you think it makes me feel to see it that way. It's not a good feeling believe me."

Joey instinctively went to grab Pacey's hand linking their fingers together. He jolted at the feel of her skin against his. "So how's Andie doing?" Pacey shrugged and looked away across the water.

"Wouldn't know I mean I haven't Talked to her in over two weeks."

"Pace I'm sure she's just trying to get better so that she can come back to you."

"Yeah or she's realized she can do better than me." He snorted.

"Pacey, you may be a pain in my Ass sometimes but you're amazing to Andie." Joey shook her head as they sat in silence.

"Yeah but I'm the Cape Side Joke and she's Andie McPhee Harvard bound" he broke the silence he hung his head and joey squeezed his hand slightly.

"You're not a joke Pace." She whispered. "You know well Dawson was trying to put out the flames of the Icehouse you grabbed me and pulled me out of that building. You saved me Pace."

He looked at her and he wondered how they were having this conversation because him and Joey didn't have conversations like this they hit each other and snarled at each other but they didn't talk to each other not really. The sun dipped behind the horizon and Joey stood up.

"it was nice talking to you Pace." She smiled at him serenely and he stood up.

"Yeah back at you jo." It seemed like the world of Cape Side had tilted ever so slightly on its axis for Joey Potter and Pacey Witter had actually had a real meaningful conversation.

" Joey what are you doing tonight." Jen came up beside her as she was walking dow the street.

"Nothing Jen Why?" Joey looked over at her blond friend.

"Well you know I was thinking you me bathing suit shopping its summer its hot and we live on a beach."

"ok I have nothing better to do." Joey shrugged.

"What are you to girls planning." Jack came up seemingly from nowhere."

"Bathing suit shopping Jack nothing that would interest you." Joey teased.

"Did I hear bathing suit." Pacey showed up.

"Of course the word Bathing suit and Pacey's here." Joey rolled her eyes.

"I'm mortally wounded Potter." He held his hand over his heart.

"Go away Witter." Joey rolled her eyes.

"How about this one." Joey held one in front of Jen.

"Are you a nun now Jo I mean seriously I've seen you in sexier bathing suit then this black thing your trying to pass off as a bathing suit.

"Fine this one." She held up a tiny pink and Black bikini

"Now that my girl is what I'm talking about."

"Yes a bathing suit and no one to impress." She mumbled.

"I'm impressed." She turned to see Pacey looking at the suit in her hands.

"Are you stalking me."

"nope." He smirked

"You're a Pig and you have a girlfriend hey go stalk her brother."

"Sorry Jo I don't swing that way and Andie doesn't have to worry that I'd ever fall for you." She just glared at him the world was tilted right once again Pacey and Joey where at each others throats.


	4. forever 10

Chapter 5. Maybe forever 10

Joey laid out on the Dock in her new bikini, "Well Potter I hate to say it but you look hot." She opened her eyes and glared over at Pacey from where he sat on the Dock beside her.

"Hey Witter what is it with you and those shirts." He'd been wearing them forever she thought and she guessed that when she thought of Pacey Witter she would always think of his loud shirts but she couldn't figure or remember for the life of her when he'd actually started to wear them.

"Well you see Potter once upon a time."

"ugg Witter are you going to tell me a fairy tale I just asked a simple question. "

"Shh Potter or you won't get your answer now where was I ah yes once upon a time there was a young girl and young boy and it was Christmas and this young girl decided that she would play a prank on the young boy and get him a loud obnoxious shirt." He smiled thinking about that Christmas Joey had given his first shirt they had been ten that Christmas morning and something always keep him wearing them at first to make her happy and later, later it just became habit. "But what she didn't realize is that he might actually grow to love them and that in the end the prank might actually be on her." He smirked over at her. Thought the truth was that he really didn't wear them to upset her.

Joey's mind was racing as her mind went back to years before to a time when a ten year old couldn't figure out what to buy her best friend or one of them anyway she'd found that shirt in a window in down town Cape Side and something about it screamed Pacey to her. She'd totally forgotten about that. "What if I was to tell you it wasn't a prank." She shielded her eyes against the sun.

"Then I'd have to tell you I only wore the dang shirt to make you happy at first but then I grew to love them so I don't actually wear them to piss you off."

"Good to know Witter."

"Back at you Potter."

"So how about you me and this creek before I melt in this heat." She suggested jumping into the creek and looking up at him expectantly.

"Sure Potter." He stripped his shirt and shoe off and jumped in after her. They spend their lazy summer day splashing around in the creek just like they had those long ago summers they had been children and for a moment just a moment in time he wasn't missing Andie and she wasn't Missing Dawson and they where just two best friends once again.


	5. New Job

Chapter 6 New Jobs

"Jo can I talk to you for a minuet please?" Bessie asked.

"Sure Bess what's up." Joey looked up from the book she was reading on the couch that at night folded out into her bed.

"Well." Bessie took a deep breath and sat down next to her sister. "I hate to do this to you I really do but I need you to get a job to help out around here I would but I have Alexander and babysitting cost would just be too high for it to be worth it. Bodie has a job and that's great but its not enough and we're still waiting for the insurance money to come in so right now we're hanging on by the skin of our teeth."

"Bess its fine I'll figure something out I think the Marina might be hiring so I'll go and check down there after lunch ok."

"Thanks Jo and I am sorry really."

"Well its not like its your fault the Icehouse burned down that would be daddy dearest."

"Jo are you ever going to forgive him."

"No Bess I'm sorry but that's not a possibility he promised we'd be a family and he broke that promise so no I can't be forgiving right now. I didn't only loose a father over the ordeal I lost a best friend and boyfriend to."

"Jo don't you think you where to hard on Dawson." Bessie asked her sister gently.

"Maybe but at the same time I don't know if we ever really would have worked out I love Dawson I just don't know if I love him enough." The thoughts that where swirling through Joey's mind made her pause. "You know what I think I'll go to the Marina now." She dropped her book on the couch and stood up. "I'll be home later Bess hopefully with some good news.

Bessie watched her sister go worry in her heart and mind.

"Hey Potter where are you off to this fine summers day?"

"I'm going to the marina to look for a job."

"ouch summer job I'd hate to be you."

"What are you talking about Witter you have a summer job you have year long job at the video store."

"Yeah but really that's not work."

"Well aren't you lucky."

He followed her as she neared the marina.

"yes I am." He smirked and she shot him a death glare.

"Can I help you?" a guy a few years older then Joey and Pacey came out of the office.

"yes I'm Joey Potter and I was wondering if you guys had any job openings?"

"Well your kind of hot so I guess I could find something to do, the name's Rob by the way."

Joey had to bite her tongue she really needed this job but she really hated this guy. "nice to meet you Rob what exactly would I be doing?"

"Washing boats filling up gas tanks and such."

"Ok when do you want me to start.

"How about tomorrow Nine AM we can work out a schedule then.

"Ok."

"Dude that guy totally wants you." Pacey smirked

"only in my Pants Witter."

"Don't worry I'll protect you from the big bad boss." Pacey joked but if Joey was really listening she'd hear the note of seriousness in his voice.

"Well this is where I leave you Witter don't cry to hard."

"In your dreams Potter." Joey rolled her eyes and went in her house.

"How'd it go." Bessie was on her seat anixiously

"I start tomorrow now I just want a sandwich." Joey made her sandwich sat back on the couch and picked her book back up wondering if Pacey really would protect her from her new Boss.


End file.
